Cellular carton



Nov. 30, 1948. L. BENOIT 2,455,291

CELLULAR CARTON Filed July 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 3Q,lgdfi asst UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CELLULAR CARTON Leon Benoit, NewYork, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Robert Gair Company,Inc.,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 4, 1945,Serial No. 603,213 4 Claims. (01. 229-2s) This invention relates ingeneral to a cellular holder adapted to contain and protect within itscells articles such as eggs, fruits, candies and the like, and is moreparticularly described as a carton formed from a pair of fiat blankswhich are interfitted for interlocking into a unitary structure havingcells with cushion bottoms to provide a suspension support for articlescontained therein.

An important object of the invention is to provide a cellular carton orholder formed from a pair of fiat blanks which occupy a minimum of spaceand are convenient for packing, storage and shipment and to be combinedinto a unitary structure to form a closed holder and to open out foraccessibly displaying the contents without destroying the assembly ofthe holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cellular carton madefrom a pair of flat blanks locked into a unitary structure by end lockswhich also engage the covers and provide means for lifting the carton bythe covers when they are closed or by the said means when the covers areopen for display.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cellular cartonmade from a pair of blanks and each having a row of flaps which areturned to form cross walls and means for engaging each cross wallthrough its own side wall and resiliently locking it in place.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a cellular cartoncomposed of flat blanks cut and scored to form interfitting blankswithout slots therein which form or require disposal of the punchingstherefrom.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and willbe apparent from the accompanying drawings whichillustrate a suggestiveembodiment of the invention, in which 1 is a perspective view of anassembled carton in accordance with this invention; one of the coversbeing open and the other cover being closed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the two complementary blanks of Whichthe carton is made;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an outer-elevational view of one of the cross wall lockingmeans;

In making and assembling cartons from blanks having folding andinterfitting parts, it is desirable to avoid blank constructions whichhave slots and therefore require disposal of punchings in order tointerconnect or interengage the parts. In the present invention thisobjection is overcome by providing projections and slits which take upall of the interior cut portions of the blank without displacing anymaterial which it is necessary to remove. A further objection in manyholders is that adequate provision is not made for engaging and lockingthe cross walls in place and in maintaining them in locking position.This objection is overcome in the present invention by providing anangular slot with a yielding tab at one end through which a hook lug isinserted and locked in position by the yielding tab.

The present holder or carton comprises two complementary blanks H! whichmay be identically cut and scored, the two blanks each having flapswhich when turned at ninety degrees become the cross walls of theopposite adjacent cellular section thereby firmly interlocking the two 7sections of the carton when it is erected.

Each blank ID has longitudinal score lines ll, I2 and I3 dividing itinto a bottom 14, and a side I5, one or both blanks being formed with acover I6 (full or half width, as desired) and a cover flap Il.

At the outer edge of the bottom portion are end flaps l8 and I9, andintermediate flaps 20 alternated with flaps 2|. Each flap is hinged tothe edge of the bottom section M by a scored hinge line 22 extending atright angles to the edge of the bottom so that when the flap is foldedthereon and turned at ninety degrees it extends outwardly or oppositelyfrom the edge of the bottom l4.

At the outer edge of each flap is a hook lug 23 having a notch 24 at oneend forming a hook and an inclined wedging surface 25 at the other endfor making a locking engagement.

In the side portion l5 are a plurality of side locks for engaging thehook lugs 23 of the opposite blank, each lock comprising an H-slithaving parallel end slits 26 and 2'! connected by a cross slit 28 withan angular locking tab 29 formed by a slit 30 extending angularly fromone end of slit 2'! to a point approximately in line with the cross slit28, if it were extended.

The operation of this look construction is such ity 3| of each hook isinserted through the slit 28 and the hook is displaced longitudinally bythe engagement of the inclined wedging surface with the resilient tab 29which pushes the end of the hook beyond the slit 21 and locks yieldinglybelow the opposite end of the hook lug 23.

In the outer edge of the cover flap H are notches 32 with inclined edges33 adapted to seat them more readily in engagement with the flaps whichbecome the cross walls. At the ends of the cover flap are recessesforming locking projections 34 with opposite rounded edges 35 extendingto the outer edge of the flap. At one end of the cover I6 is a roundedrecess 38 to provide a finger engaging portion at each end of the cartonwhen it is assembled.

In the end flaps l8 and I9 which become the end cross walls are cut tabs31 and 38 respectively each connected by a scored hinge line 39. Thecross walls formed by opposite flaps i8 and ill at one end of the cartonare overlapped at their central portion so that the flaps 31 and 38 ofadjacent cross walls are in alignment with each other and may be pushedoutwardly upon their hinge lines to lock the end cross walls togetherand to also provide lock openings at each end of the carton for theengagement of both of the lock projections 34 of each of the cartoncover flaps ll.

Each of the flaps 2B is formed with an angular notch 40 in the edgewhich becomes its innermost and uppermost projection when it is turnedinwardly to form one of the connecting cross walls and extending fromthe bottom of the notch is a slit 4! with an angular portion r.

42 at the bottom and a scored hinge line 43 parallel to the slit 4| toprovide a yielding tongue for engaging the inwardly turned cover flapsl1.

Each of the other similar alternate flaps 2i is reduced in size by aninwardly extending cut line 44 which forms a corresponding recessmatching with a similar recess in the opposite cross walls, as shownmore clearly in Fig. 3 and extending below the lower edge of the coverflap I! so that it is not necessary for the cover flaps to engage witheach of the cross partitions which are duplicated centrally of anassembled carton.

In the edges of iiaps l8 and 20 adjacent their junction with the bottomH are recesses 45 which form corresponding projections 46, and al- 7ternate flaps 2| have projections 41 extending into recesses 48 at theedge of the bottom l4 to provide endwise engaging projections betweenthe bottoms of the two sections for holding them together in properengagement but to provide a somewhat yielding or flexibly movableconnection between the bottoms and by which the contents of each cellmay be pressed upwardly when the bottom and side walls of each cell arepressed inwardly together.

With this construction the out blanks of the cartons may be convenientlystacked in fiat form occupying a minimum space for storage and shipment.In assembling the cartons, each of the flaps forming the cross walls arebent out of the plane of the blank at right angles thereto and the crosswalls of two adjacent blanks, partially folded, are extended oppositelypressing the hook lugs of each section through the H-locking slits ofthe opposite section. Since the hook lugs are automatically engaged, thecartons are thus readily set up in open position, the cross walls areextended and overlapping at the center line between the sections. readyto receive eggs or other articles inserted therein.

4 At this time the registering end flaps 31 and 38 may be turnedoutwardly if desired to further interlock the ends but when either oneor both of the cover flaps are inserted centrally downward in the cartonengaging the vertical guides formed by the slits 4|, the lockingprojections 34 will also engage the innermost flaps 31 or 38 pushingthem both outwardly and interlocking the projection 34 in the endlocking openings formed by the displacement of the flaps 31 and 38.

In order to open the carton, the cover may be torn loose if it is notdesired to save it. or the projecting tabs 31 and 38 at both ends may begrasped by the fingers and pulled outwardly whereupon the lockingprojections 34 of the cover flaps will be freed from the lockingopenings and the covers may be raised and moved outwardly. Anothermethod of opening the carton is to insert therein a thin blade like aknife, between the cover flaps at one end and to push out theoverlapping cross walls until the locking projections 34 of the flapsare freed from the openings thereof whereupon either one or both of thecovers may be opened.

This carton is easily closed and opened, and when closed, it isautomatically locked against accidental opening. The cross connection ofthe cross walls locks one section through the side wall of the othersection and the overlapping of these walls at the center produces astrong and rigid structure which is simple, durable, cushioned, and maybe made of relatively light material so that it is economical tomanufacture.

I claim:

1. A cellular carton comprising two foldable blanks each having flapshinged along one edge and extensible at right angles within the otherblank to form cross walls, a side wall with cross slits corresponding tothe cross walls and upper and lower parallel slits extendinglongitudinally of the side wall in opposite directions from the ends ofthe cross slits and forming yieldable portions at opposite sides of thecross slits for engaging the cross walls, said side wall having at oneend of each lower slit a slit extending angularly from said lower slitto a point approximately in line with the cross slit, forming ayieldable looking tab, a hook shaped lug at the outer edge of each flapinsertable through the cross slit in the side wall of the opposite blankand engaged at opposite sides by said yieldable portions and engageablewith the locking tab at the bottom of the cross slit, said locking tabretaining the lug in the cross slit.

2. A cellular carton comprising two foldable blanks each having flapshinged along one edge and extensible at right angles with the otherblank to form cross walls, a. side wall with cross slits correspondingto the cross walls and upper and lower parallel slits extendinglongitudinally of the side wall in opposite directions from the ends ofthe cross slits and forming yieldable portions at opposite sides of thecross slits for engaging the cross walls, said side wall having at onefrom said lower slit to a point approximately in line with the crossslit, forming a yieldable lock ing tab, a hook shaped lug at the outeredge of each flap insertable through the cross slit in the side wall ofthe opposite blank and engaged at opposite sides by said yieldableportions and engageable with the locking tab at the bottom of the crossslit, said locking tab retaining the lug in the cross slit and said lugbeing provided with a wedge-shaped portion for engagement with thelocking tab for forcing the hook-shaped lug into locking position.

3. A cellular carton comprising two foldable blanks each having flapshinged along one edge and extensible at right angles within the otherblank to form cross walls, means in each side wall for engaging thecross walls of the other blank, the two cross walls at each end of thecarton overlapping and having registering hinged tabs formed of thematerial of the wall in the 10 overlapping portion and movable togetheroutwardly from the walls to lock the walls centrally together and toform an opening therethrough, and a hinged cover having a cover flapextending downwardly and provided with a stifi end projection extendingthrough the registering openings formed by said hinged tabs and lockingthe cover in closed position and engaging the registering hinged tabsand holding the same in locking position to maintain the end flaps ininterlocked rela- 20 tion.

4. A cellular carton comprising two foldable blanks each having flapshinged along one edge and extensible at right angles within the otherblank to form cross walls, means in each side wall for engaging thecross walls of the other blank, the two cross walls at each end of thecarton overlapping and having registering hinged tabs REFERENCES CITEDThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 454,636 Brown et a1 June 23, 1891885,159 Keys "Apr. 21, 1908 1,669,454 Close May 15, 1928 1,957,755Bourque May 8, 1934 2,105,181 Bueschel Jan. 11, 1938 2,261,625 JonesNov. 4, 1941 2,316,050 Coyle Apr. 6, 1943 2,319,924 Ferguson May 25,1943 2,326,244 Moore, Jr Aug. 10, 1943

